*Note this story is in Ilocano

Nakalasat ak met lang.

Itatta nga inpanaw na kami da Papa kin Mama idjay madi nga lugar, makaturog ak mittin. Nagmayat iti maturog nga awan mang-ngeg kon nga agkatkatawa kanyak. Naragsakak idi ni Mr. Albulari-albulury-albularyo-ket inbaga na nga tumalaw kamin kit agbirok iti sabali nga pagtaengan. Nasingpet isuna.

Adu pay iti maubra kadaytoy baru nga lugar. Adu mit lang iti baru nga gagayyem ko kin da Kuya, Mama kin Papa ket adda mit lang ubra dan. Jay maysa nga pagayatak nga paset iti lugar kit dayjay baru nga parke asidig laeng iti balay mi, adda iti nagdakkil nga duyan, dakdakkil ngem dagijay immuna ah nakitak. Mabalin nak mit siguro agduyan sadyay, kin gaw-atik dagiti bitwen. Isun tu ti aramidil tunu bigat.

Ngem itatta, adda nasaralak nga naliday. Adda iti maladaga nga agsangsangit kin agmaymaysa sadyay sirok iti kayo idjay parke. Nakamaymayat iti rupa na kin agmaymaysa isu nga napan ko inasitgan kin nagay-ayam kami inggana sumangpit ti ina na. Inbagak iti nagan ko, Teleia, kinatawaan lang jay ubeng. Permi lakitdi iti ayat na ta kumanatawa idi.

Bumaban iti init kin jay ubeng kit kumita-kita idjayen, birbirukin na siguro dagijay nagannak nan isu nga inistoryaak pay lang ti kinabyag ni Mama kin Papa. Lummaeng ni Mama kalpasan iti napasamak idjay dati nga pagtaengan mi, haan isunan nga agsakit pay. Napigsa isunan ta mapakan nan jay kabsat ko nga maysa.

Idi madama nak nga agsao kadaydi makan, nagrungaab jay ubeng. Nag-ikkis isuna ket haan ko ammon iti mapaspasamak pay. Sumipsipngetin idi isu inbagak nga aguray lattan bassit tay ubeng ta ayabak ni Mama.

Ammo na iti ubraen.

=——————————=

English Version

I’m finally free.

Now that Mama and Papa moved us away from that bad place, I can sleep again. It’s so great to have a night where I don’t hear anyone laughing at me. I’m so glad the Mr. albulari—albulury— Albularyo—man told us to go find another place to live. He was nice.

There’s so much to do in this new place. I have so many new friends and Kuya and Mama and Papa all found new things to do. My favorite place is the new park near my house, there’s a really big swing, bigger than I’ve ever seen before. Maybe I can swing and reach the stars. I’ll try that tomorrow.

Today though, I found someone lonely. There was a little baby crying all alone under a tree in the park. It was so cute and lonely that I decided to play with it until its mommy came. I told it my name, Teleia, and the baby found it so funny. It would just laugh and laugh all the time with me.

The sun was setting and the baby was looking around and I think it was looking for its parents so I told him stories of my Mama and my Papa. Mama was getting better after what happened in our old place and she isn’t even sick anymore. She was even strong enough to feed my baby brother.

When I was talking about feeding the baby started crying a lot. It started screaming and I didn’t know what was happening. It was getting really dark so I told the baby to wait a little bit so that I could call my Mama. Maybe she can give it food.

She’ll know what to do.

=——————————————–=

*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Ilocano translation by Stephanie Daliri Garces
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Stephanie Daliri Garces

Story continued from Aura’s Tale

Story inspired by the Tiyanak legends

Tiyanak Illustration and Watercolor by Yanna Gemora